Against the Wall

How to avoid hitting the notorious roadblock—and strategies for coping if you do.

You're in the middle of a run when things start to fall apart. Your legs feel like concrete, your breathing grows labored, your strides turn into a shuffle. Negative thoughts flood your mind, and the urge to quit becomes overwhelming. Unfortunately, if you run long enough, you're bound to experience this some day.

So what can you do about it? Matt Buman, Ph.D., a research fellow at Stanford School of Medicine, wanted to examine the specific physical and psychological reasons recreational runners hit the so-called "wall"–and more importantly, how they cope and recover from the setback. Of the 315 marathoners he surveyed, 43 percent had hit the wall in a recent race. Although Buman's study focused on marathoners, the insights he collected can be helpful to any runner who hits a rough patch. With these specific, proven strategies, you can bounce back from the most common midrun meltdowns and finish strong.

You have a dry mouth, feel weak, and fall off pace.If you're out on a run of 75 minutes or less and you start to feel thirsty and sluggish, you're probably experiencing mild dehydration. The remedy is simple: Drink water or a sports drink. If, however, you're on a longer run and, in addition to thirst, your legs feel heavy and your energy is waning, you may be running out of fuel. You may need carbohydrates–a sports drink, a gel, Gummi Bears–that your body can then convert into glucose to fire your muscles. "On a long run, you'll feel better if you start fueling before the onset of fatigue," says Janet Hamilton, an exercise physiologist and running coach in Atlanta, who recommends ingesting carbs every 45 to 60 minutes. "But if you're running at higher intensity than normal, you may burn through your glycogen stores faster." Also, keep in mind if you haven't been fueling properly and you are well into your run, you won't be able to undo the damage even if you chug 16 ounces of Gatorade. That's because your body has to convert the carbohydrates into simple sugars before they can fuel your muscles.

You're overwhelmed by all the miles you have to cover."A lot of runners need to tune out for a while and focus on something else," Hamilton says. Count the number of trees along your route, conjugate Spanish verbs, or fantasize about a postrun feast. "The runners in our study did all kinds of things from counting backward from 100 to making grocery lists in their heads," Buman says. Both he and Hamilton caution to not tune out so much that you forget to occasionally check in with your body. "It's important to focus on their physical well-being, by asking, When was the last time I hydrated? Am I holding my shoulders right?" she says.

Your hamstrings, quads, or calves hurt.If you're pushing yourself hard, it's not unusual to feel muscle soreness in your hamstrings, quads, calves, or even upper body. "You should expect that toward the end of an intense race or workout," says Tom McGlynn, a three-time qualifier for the Olympic Marathon Trials and founder of Focus-N-Fly, an online coaching service. But if the pain is severe, slow your pace and assess yourself. "Walking or stretching might help ease the pain, so you can continue on," he says.

You start telling yourself This is impossible.If you anticipate you'll reach a point during a long run or race when you can't fight these negative voices alone, consider doing what some of the runners in Buman's study did–recruit a running partner who can do the fighting for you. You don't need to have someone with you from start to finish. Luis Manzo, Ph.D., a sports psychologist and running coach in New York City, suggests asking someone to jump in with you at a point in the run where you anticipate a struggle. "It can be a psychological booster shot when you need it," he says. If you're in the middle of a race with no buddy, Manzo recommends turning to the crowd for support. Interacting with people on the sidelines, even in subtle ways, releases endorphins. "One runner I worked with blew kisses as she ran by," Manzo says. "You could also try a quick thumbs-up."

The end is near, but you're exhausted and ready to stop.McGlynn says to imagine grabbing a cup and scooping up the last bit of energy buried deep down inside. "You may feel like garbage," he says, but tell yourself, I've trained for this. I'm an athlete. I'm going to reach down, grab that last cup, and I'll get through this." Manzo tells clients to imagine strings on each arm and to visualize that with each arm swing, they are pulling themselves closer to the finish. "The whole idea is to keep your arms in motion because your legs will follow," he says. You can also break up the remainder of the run into segments. Hamilton recommends just taking your run mile by mile or even traffic light by traffic light. "I call those continuous negotiation runs," she says. "You put one foot in front of the other and tell yourself just make it to the next lamp post."